State of Indian Birds website:
stateofindiasbirds.in
State of Indian Birds report launch YouTube link:
https://www.youtube.com/live/DtJaZbAOqW8?si=_-orPGgEm85K-GTg
(You have to watch it on YouTube)
Film launch on 061023:
https://www.youtube.com/live/DtJaZbAOqW8?si=JZz3DTx80jZ9VvOl
Left to right top to bottom: Ashish Jha, Neha Sinha, SU Saravanakumar, Ashwin Viswanathan, Janhavi Rajan, Praveen J, Priti Bangal, Ramesh Kumar.
Invited by Padma and Ramaswamy
Stayed at Hanging Huts in Kotagiri.
Left Blr at 6am and because of going through Bandipur, reached only at 5pm.
We got the two-bed room and I got an extra bed. Little cramped but I had to pay Rs.1000 per night X 2 instead of Rs.1800 per night (X 2)
Service good, food good, (Rani, cook, Sanju and Jegan, workers, manager’s name Gopal or Gopalakrishnan, I don’t know) but very small property with electric fencing so hardly any walking possible.
We went to Sims Park and on 30th to Botanical Gardens. We went birding with Sivalingam to his hide and to Kodanadu Top on 31st. Good guide. We left Kotagiri at 11.20am and took 11 hours through pouring rain and Onam traffic backed up for miles, and I reached home at 10.30pm.
Flickr:
290823: Journey to Kotagiri: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310845172
300823: Ooty, Sims Park, Botanical Gardens: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310884306
310823: Hide, Kodanadu Top, return journey: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310891207
FB:
290823: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160094872268878&type=3
300823: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160096108573878&type=3
310823: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160096124578878&type=3
eBird:
300823, Sims Park: https://ebird.org/checklist/S148725334 (32 sp)
310823, Hide/Kodanadu area: https://ebird.org/checklist/S148725454 (27 sp)
iNat:
The pink buildings on the left are the resort (Hanging Huts) we stayed in
Hill Swallows at nest:
Dahlia
Banana Passion Flower
Van sign
Udhagamandalam (Ooty)
Amazing giant tree trunk at Sims Park, Ooty
Nilgiri Laughing Thrush
Nilgiri Blue Robin (Sholakili)
Red-eye Bush Brown
Painted Bush Quail
Sri Aggal Sivalingam
Self-confidence!
Videos:
3744 Nayara inflatable inviting motorists on the highway:
3958 Rodent, Hanging Hut, Kotagiri:
4140 Malabar Giant Squirrel foraging, Sims Park, Ooty:
4141 (2) Malabar Giant Squirrel foraging:
4226 Female House Sparrow dust-bathing:
310823: Hide:
4304 Painted Bush Quail, Kotagiri:
4357 Nilgiri Sholakili (Blue Robin) with prey:
4421 Rainwater flowing down the steps, road from Ooty:
4425 Rainwater on the road:
Group at TVC:
Madhav, Madha, Shreedevi (mother of Swara) , Tapasya (Arun’s daughter with dog), Balaji, Ashwini, Gayatri, Savita, Donald, Tanav (Ashwini and Prashant’s son) , Udya, Aadhi, Snigdha (behind), Swara, Arun, Samashti, Ambika, Sanket, Nandini, Subbu,Staff at right: Elraju, Gundappa, Maari ,Puttappa.
Announcement:
Last-mile directions from Sanket:
Location Tamarind Valley Collective (TVC)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1yHa5qpGaHuN5sEX6
Once u reach odhipuram these directions will help u out.
About TVC:
TVC is a ~ 100-acre permaculture farm run by 52 families experimenting with a living style that reduces consumption and incorporates naturally supported cyclical systems.
Details about how to reach are here. Basic etiquettes while you are at the farm are listed here.
The farm is still in the regeneration phase. The weather is pleasant during Aug – Feb.
March to July are hot months, with day temperatures reaching 38+ degrees.
The area of the farm is large and has multiple terrains. You should be able to drive up to the entrance of the farm. Access to various parts of the farm is on foot, and you be comfortable with that. We have farm staff staying in the farm quarters and will take care of you while you are at the farm.
We have some amiable dogs with them at the farm. For any reason, if you feel uncomfortable, please inform the farm staff.
We have a common food hut/pergola where you can keep your things, have food, etc. It also has charging points for the phone. We usually prepare simple food and are happy to share it with the guests.
Find more details on our website: https://tvc.farm/
Schedule given by Sanket Patil:
260823
4.30 to 6.30 evening biodiversity walk. 6.30 evening snack and chai. 7pm moth screen, 8.30pm dinner.
270823
6 to 8.30 or 9am morning biodiversity walk, 9pm onwards breakfast, 10am another walk, 12 noon lunch, dispersal
Ladies who helped in the kitchen:
Chikkamma,
Mahadevamma (two women with this name!)
eBird:
260823: https://ebird.org/checklist/S148172787 (46 sp)
270823: https://youtu.be/P4umwdMV5z4?si=CoedFetOoDgOsg2U (54 sp)
iNat:
Flickr: (both days) https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310759230
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160085267243878&type=3
Butterflies
Awl, Common Banded
Baron, Common
Blue, Lesser Grass
Blue, Tiny Grass
Bob, Chestnut
Brown, Common Bush
Cerulean, Common
Coster, Tawny
Crow, Common
Dart, Dark Palm
Eggfly, Danaid
Eggfly, Great
Emigrant, Common (Lemon)
Hopper, Bush
Jezebel, Common
Mormon, Common
Orange-tip, Great
Orange-tip, Plain
Orange-tip, White
Orange-tip, Yellow
Pansy, Lemon
Peacock, Common Banded
Psyche
Rose, Common
Rose, Crimson
Yellow, Common Grass
Yellow, Three-spot Grass
Some of the medicinal herbs/plants
Adhapushpi (Trichodesma indicum)
Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia)
Coat Button (Tridax procumbens)
Giant Milkweed (Calatropis gigantea)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Indian Gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica)
Mountain Pomegranate (Catunaregam spinosa)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
Touch-me-not (Mimosa pudica)
Vegetable Hummingbird (agase soppu, Sesbania grandiflora)
Indian White-eye
The moth screen was taken down too quickly to yield good results
We found a small scorpion, Janalychas sp:
Dinner (the excellent puLiyOgare was brought by Shreedevi or Ashwini)
Carpenter Bee on Giant Milkweed
Sirkeer Malkoha
Mottled Wood Owls
Okra flower
Ants farming Horned Hoppers
Birdwatching
Brown-capped Pygmy Woodpecker
Dark Palm Dart
Painted Grasshopper
Black Eagle
Hornet attracted to the sugary pAnakam
Sanjana using the EarlyBird flash cards
Harvested Silk-cotton pods
Colourful architecture on our way home
Video:
Announcement: Fixed up with Uday who wanted to see the Bitterns again.
Surya, Murali, Uday, Shalini
Only on DMW:
Uday was so happy with the visit to Muthanallur Kere that he wants to go again on Monday,070823.
Meeting Point:
Meeting time: 6.30am
I am putting this only on the DMW group as it is a working day.
eBird:https://ebird.org/checklist/S146662221 (79 sp)
iNat:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-08-07&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310305220 (66 photos)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160048298083878&type=3
Tiny Grass Blue
Bush Hopper
Male Baya Weaver building the nest
Merremia sp
Blue-banded Bee
Black Damselfly
Silkleaf (Lagascea mollis)
Pied Cuckoo
Yellow Bittern in flight
Tortoiseshell Beetle
Yellow Blister Beetle on Ipomoea
Bee laden with pollen on Puncture Vine (Tribulus terristris)
Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa)
Watering the road under construction (perhaps to prevent the dust from flying)
Muthanallur temple
Fodder on wheels
I read this as Amnesia Academy…they offer admission from Pre KG (KinderGarten)…to…Twitter!
Videos:
Videos:
0031 Blue-banded Bee:
Most of the group at the start of the walk at Saul Kere:
Announcement for Saul Kere:
Bngbirds 1st Sunday Outing: Saul Kere, 6 Aug ’23
When: Sunday, 6 Aug ’23
Where: Saul Kere
Meeting time: 6.30am
Meeting point:
https://goo.gl/maps/FbFg659gZ5tdar6
(near Adarsh Gem and Ecospace back gate)
The walk will last approx. until 9.30am. Level terrain.
The perimeter of the lake is about 2km. Suitable for all ages.
Washrooms at the Eco Space Food Court about 500m from the lake (the restaurants are closed on Sunday but the washrooms are open) at roughly this area
https://goo.gl/maps/zny9Tofw5icjGiVe7
People can leave whenever they wish to.
Wear: Dull-coloured clothes, hats/.caps, comfy walking shoes Rain gear if there is rain forecast.
Bring: Bird books/apps, binoculars, cameras, pads/pencils if you like to sketch or take notes.
Plenty of water,. Bringing snacks and sharing them with those around you is optional, but deeply appreciated!
Post outing restaurant, with parking available, The Rasaganga, location:
https://goo.gl/maps/1qhhakN1Srm8ADQg6
Those who would like to participate in the outing can join the WA group for the outing, at
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjGFHTneXT88QsWbUg06tu
Looking forward to meeting you on Sunday,
Bngbirds volunteers.
Annoouncement for BBC:
Dear Friends,
A butterfly walk is being planned at Doresanipalya forest a.k.a – JPRF on 6 Aug 2023 (Sunday).
Destination: JP Nagar Forest, a.k.a – Doresanipalya Forest Research Station, Panduranga Nagar, Arekere Mico Layout.
Date: 6 Aug 2023 (Sunday)
The walk starts at 9 am and closes by 12 noon – duration of 3 hrs.
Assembly point: Jagli Thindi @8:30 am
Assembly point Maps location :
https://goo.gl/maps/Rq9ZV2qgiwifJXj37
Walk starts at sharp 9:00 am
Walk start location & time: Doresanipalya Forest Main Gate 8:55 am
Doresanipalya Forest Gate , butterfly park
https://bit.ly/3bGieWf
If YOU would like to join, please fill in all details in this form – https://forms.gle/MEUMMR1k5d961pdr8 . Please request any accompanying person to also fill the form separately.
I’ll be creating a temporary WhatsApp group for this walk and sharing further details / changes only with folks who confirm their participation. Max number 20 people (Google Form will be closed once max registrations are reached). Please note that children above age 4 only will be admitted.
Sincerely,
Nagesh
Nagesh Ramamurthy
Cell: +91 9686570845
nageshkr@gmail.com
eBird: Saul Kere:https://ebird.org/checklist/S146556422 (53 sp)
Doresanipalya:
iNat: (both places): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-08-06&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310280855 (66 photos)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160046119398878&type=3
We collected Jamun fruit off the tree and enjoyed the tangy taste
Ruddy-breasted Crake
The Pale-billed Flowerpecker, the smallest bird that we know of in India, sits on the Singapore Cherry (its favourite tree) ….
…and sings!
Uday and I went to join the fortnightly butterfly count at Doresanipalya Forest Research Station, where we met Dr Krushnamegh Kunte, who held two of his books and smiled for me
All these people were joining a butterfly walk for the first time
A Thread-waisted Wasp nectars on a Cyanotis sp. flower
Beautiful moss on a tree trunk
Mating Craneflies
A beautiful mushroom….
…and the snail I found under it
An Antlion
A Common Castor with strange whitish upper wings
Uday and I stopped at Adayar Ananda Bhavan (A2B) on the way home for coffee, and I found a young lady in pajamas, having breakfast…but the butterfly theme seemed to continue!
Video:
0035 Pale-billed Flowerpecker calling:
Announcement:
Fixed up with Uday, invited Jay and Padma
Announcement: Fixed up with Uday. Invited Jay and Padma.
eBird:https://ebird.org/checklist/S146234305 (85 sp)
iNat:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-08-02&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any
Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720310200642
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160039968233878&type=3
MCS (Mandatory Chai Stop)
Wanted Salary 15,000…I too want it! What an honest poster!
Reeds harvested and set out for drying (for thatch, perhaps?)
Ants farming aphids
Apefly
Red-necked Falcon
Pied Cuckoo
Rose-ringed Parakeets
Blue Tiger
Plain Prinia
Flight of Little Egrets
Beautiful bark patterns
Striped Tiger on Milkweed
Paddyfield Pipit with Coromandel Marsh Dart kill
Red-vented Bulbul
Small Salmon Arab
Paper Wasp (Hornet) on Milkweed
Black Drongo pretending to be a Racket-tailed Drongo!
Angled Castor
Insect
Mating Coromandel Marsh Darts
Wasp
Brefus at A2B
Videos:
1.0056 Rose-ringed Parakeets courtship/feeding behaviour:
2.0095 Processional Ants:
0139 Striped Tiger on Milkweed (Asclepias sp):
Playwright, Manav Kaul (writer)
Group: Aranya (seems to be a Mumbai/Marathi group)
https://aranyatheatre.wordpress.com/ (seems not to be updated)
Started in 2003/4
Hindi, with a little English and some singing in Bengali
About relationships between couples, starting and ending.
Set in a cafe at least at the start
Props: 6 chairs, several A4 papers strewn around (written poems in a cafe)
Contemporary clothes as costumes, with fez-type hats
Very good-looking young cast
Full house
Excellent production, lighting and sound very good (names given but could not remember, no brochure)
Superb dialogue, some one-liners drew massive applause
Each couple kept morphing into another.
Touches of excellent comedy, which served to break the tension.
Some mystification for me.
Cast: Manasi Bhawalkar,Priyanka Chaudhury,Sakhee Gokhale, Ghanshyam Lalsa, Kaustubh Harit, Hrishabh Kanti
1 hr 15(20, actually) min. Rs.500
Poster
Set
Cast taking a bow at the end
Manav Kaul, introduction
Email to Bngbirds io egroup:
Some amount of road and other construction in the Valley School campus had paused our fourth Sunday outings for a while, but last Sunday, we were able to re-start the walk
Several notable nature experts and ornithologists were invited to participate in the walk the usual number of registering participants (20) was reduced to 15; But these 15 participants were especially lucky to go on a nature/bird walk with many of the who’s who’s of the Bangalore nature community!
We started our walk standing under the Banyan tree at the entrance gate, while Prasad talked a bit about the history of these walks in the Valley School area. Mittu of the School then added that we might see many changes, but hoped we would still observe enough interesting creatures,both big and small. Even as we spoke, two Indian Grey Hornbills flew overhead, briefly seen through the foliage…I didn’t dare disturb the expert exposition though! I waited for Kishan and Prashanth to join us, and off we went.
As we ambled along, a few Small Minivets in the Silver Oaks drew our attention, and we watched them flying about high in the canopy, as they usually do. We found the abandoned nest of a Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher; the bird could be heard, here and there, throughout our walk. A Fantail, which is now classed as a Flycatcher, too, was seen in the Acacia trees. One of the Acacias themselves was the subject ot discussion; which species was it, with its very broad leaves and distinctive flowers? (Answer will be given by Ulhas or Subbu).
We looked at some pretty little Indian White-eyes in the trees, and our attention was caught by some Greater Coucals skulking around in the foliage. On went the list as we walked…a Blue-faced Malkoha (another champion skulker…rarely does one see the whole bird, mostly one has to be satisfied with part of the tail, or the lovely blue eye-ring that gives the bird its name), Sunbirds, Tailorbirds….
Nor were we lacking in other things to see. I was able to point out several interesting trees, including the Sand-paper Tree (Streblus asper), some Tent/Dome Web Spiders, tiny, delicate blooms of Pavonia or Mimosa, or the Tiny Periwinkle. A stand of Glory Lily flaunted its flame-like blooms, and Swamy explained how this plant, all parts of which are poisonous), has its leaves modified into tendrils. I showed the heart-in-the seed of the Balloon Vines, and explained that the genus is called Cardiospermum (cardio, heart, spermum, seed.) Some beautiful mushrooms had us asking Mamla to explain more about them.
Gopi kept making sorties to capture various small denizens of the insect world; a Eurybrachis Plant Hopper (which I call the Popcorn Bug because its posterior does look like popped corn), Crickets, Grasshoppers, Katydids…
One of the highlights for me was Subbu mentioning that he had seen a Jumping Ant (let me see if I can remember the scientific name right, Harpegnathos saltator (I got some advice to remember “salt eater”). He saw it jumping up in the air to catch a moth, and we all rushed to get a look at this marvel. There was, apparently, nest hole with (probably) several of them inside, but one did come out, with its mandilbles filled with the scales of the captured (and devoured) moth . Mobiles and camera were hard at work, getting this unusual ant on record (Read more about this on Aravind Ramamurthy’s lovely article: https://jlrexplore.com/gallery/photostories/an-afternoon-with-harpegnathos-saltator)
We were able to look at several butterflies, too. Apart from the usual Common (or is it now the Indian?) Jezebel, and the Common Four-rings and Grass Yellows, we observed a Dark Cerulean, an exquisite Red Pierrot, a Chocolate Pansy, and others. Moths like the Asian Swallowtail Moth (family Geometridae) or the Day-flying Handmainden Moth also came in for their share of attention.
As we crossed the footpath over the stream, a burrow of a Porcupine was found. The hole in the mud bank was too large for a rodent, and the clump of scat, consisting of the seeds of Jamun fruit, was appparently a good pointer to the occupant being a Porcupine. We may never see these shy denizens of our forest patches, but it is good to see the evidence of their existence.
As we neared the end of the walk, we kept a respectable, and respectful, distance from the nest of a Purple-rumped Sunbird (we had sighted a Loten’s Sunbird, too, earlier). Ulhas’ announcements about tea and biscuits being ready were not heeded as we noticed a Jerdon’s Leafbird couple bringing nesting material to the Kadamba tree. Quite fifteen minutes went by before we could tear ourselves away!
With a last look at a Pale-billed Flowerpecker ( to ensure that it was not a Thick-billed Flowerpecker, which can sometimes be seen here) and a couple of Common Ioras (Prashanth and Kishan had been watching these on their way in early in the morning, too) , we finally wound up sitting together, with biscuits and chai, exchanging notes and mobile numbers. A dead Asian Hornet was, we thought, one of the last of the creatures we saw; but on our way out to the gate, a beautiful Giant Wood Spider captivated us, and had us clicking.
I would be remiss, though,if I didn’t refer to one of the fun parts of the walk…the camaraderie and the good-natured banter. The nesting material used by the Leafbirds was held to come from Kishan’s beard; when someone asked if the porcupine was still in the burrow, he was given”helpful advice” to put his hand in and find out; the Common Gull had Gopi asking, “kee gull hai?”, and so the puns and the witticisms went, all through the walk, and at the post-walk breakfast at Paakashala on Kanakapura Road, too. (we were all quite hungry and demolished the rufous dosas, the white-breasted iddlis, the speckled chutney, and the ferruginous coffee). MBK repeated his famous sugar trickfor a laughing audience. By popular demand, here is my video of his performance, almost exactly 13 years ago, 17th July 2010!
For some reason, I am not able to bring up this video on my mobile phone. MBK must have cast a spell on it. You can see Vittal, and see and hear Uma KS laughing her head off!
We dispersed on a happy note, looking forward to the week ahead (and the weekend folllowing it!)
The eBird checklist, a satisfactory 49 species, is at
https://ebird.org/checklist/S145350598
and my observations (the ones I photographed) are at
My photos from the morning are on a Flickr album at
(you can click on each image for the caption/id)
Hoping to meet some of you next weekend,
Cheers, Deepa.
Jay, Raji and I.Fixed up on Red Paint Brush Society.
eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S144900868 (43 sp)
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-07-18&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720309858907 (82 photos)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10160010297223878&type=3
Little Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Eye of the Indian Cormorant
Colours:Raincoats for sale
You can see the doomed rodent holding on to both parts of the beak.
The head was in the beak, so the Heron could not drown the rodent easily
The Heron dips the unfortunate animal into the water again
Fire Spike (Odontonema tubaeforme)
Common Castor
Eating after the outing. The ottu shAviga bAth was excellent
Videos:
Movie of the photos: https://youtu.be/ykXx8fX7GmE https://www.youtube.com/embed/ykXx8fX7GmE?wmode=opaque
Arranged by Guru Prasad, who has been there regularly. Excellent outing
Group at the start:
Suresh, Chetan, ?, Suresh, Navalgund, Padmaja, Uday, Gurutej, Vishwanath Balur, Balaji, Gayatri, Pranav,Jayashree as usual hiding her face, Pradeep.
Announcement:
Birding near sondekoppa lake
When – 16th July Sunday
Time – 6-30am
Location -https://maps.app.goo.gl/cewv7wuoYzvUrzuW8
eBird: https://ebird.org/checklist/S144682217 (76 sp)
iNat: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?on=2023-07-16&place_id=any&user_id=deemopahan&verifiable=any
Flickr:https://www.flickr.com/photos/86494503@N00/albums/72177720309799535
FB:
White-browed Bulbul with nesting material
Photographing the Bulbul
The Pale-billed Flowerpecker is the smallest bird known in India
Instead of planting more trees, the trees were getting chopped on the bund of the lake
We found Grey Heron nests in the lake
We had a great line up at snack time
Kodi Sri Sidarameshwara Temple sign
Black-winged Kite
Blue-banded Bee on Lantana camara, another invasive pretty-flower import from south America
Grey Pansy
Common Wanderer
Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), used in Ayurveda
Excellent masala dosa at A2B, Kanakapura Road
Balaji, Gayatri, Uday, Jayashree at breakfast
Videos
:
Deponti to the world 